Crimson and Ebony
by Are-san
Summary: Captured by a cruelly sadistic Aizen and forced to hide out in the Arrancar world, Aoki Tatsu is lost and alone. But when Kurosaki Ichigo and his band come to save Inoue Orihime from a similar fate, will Tatsu find a way to escape this Hell?
1. Black to Red

**Hi everybody! I'm baaack! Okay so here's the real story, Crimson and Ebony. (for those of you who haven't read What Once Was this story makes a lot more sense if you read that first.)** **Just like the other story this one is rated M for swearing, mature content, violence, etc. And it also contains OC pairings and AU situations starting after the beginning of the Hueco Mundo Arc. **

**So I hope you enjoy, please Read and Review so I know if it's any good.  
**

//

_Tatsu awoke with a groan of pain on a cold stone floor. It was dark, but she could see that the walls of the room where she lay were a stark, unforgiving white. Her head throbbed with a deep ache and she grunted as dots of colour swam in her vision. She could remember the battle, remember losing her men. She could even vaguely recall the crash of impact as the Arrancar with the bull horns had knocked her out. Considering that she figured she most likely didn't have any brain damage. But that didn't explain why she was still alive. Or where the Arrancar had taken her..._

_She breathed in slowly, waiting for the headache to ease itself before she stood up carefully and looked around. There was a door across from her, with a light behind it, but when she moved to go to it she finally noticed the binding chains that were restraining her ankles and her shoulders. She wriggled in their grasp, noting her missing zanpakuto, and tried to summon up the energy to cast a kido spell._

_Only to find that she couldn't._

_Lethality stone... She thought with disgust, tugging uselessly at her binds. The power-blocking material preventing her from escaping._

_She was still struggling with the chains when the door in front of her opened. She immediately stopped her fighting, glaring with narrowed eyes at the shadowy figure in the entryway._

"_It's good to see that you are awake, Aoki-san..." The figure said, stepping into the room._

_Despite years of training, despite constant discipline and a pristine record of not showing her emotions, Tatsu could not hold back a gasp. Standing before her, smiling like a friendly older brother, was none other than that bastard, that traitor..._

_None other than Aizen Sousuke..._

//

"Bastard!" There was a sharp clang of metal as the blonde shinigami pulled harshly on her binds, teeth bared as she tried to reach the man who'd betrayed Soul Society.

The man in question smiled softly and chuckled at her struggle, watching her as if she were a silly child throwing a tantrum. Which only infuriated her more.

"Release me this instant!" she demanded, growling like a feral dog as she attempted to rip her chains out of the wall by sheer force. "Or I swear I'll-"

"You'll what?" Aizen asked, eyes glinting with obvious amusement. "You cannot harm me, Aoki-san. No matter your ferocity."

She glared at him, and he was reminded of a cornered animal making a last stand against its predator. There was blood staining one half of her pale face, nearly blinding one emerald eye, and her silky hair was matted with the substance, looking saddeningly lank and lifeless despite it's vibrant hue. Her uniform was torn and tattered, revealing bruised and bloody patches of flesh. It was an attractive look on her, he decided.

Aizen turned away from the temptingly vulnerable sight and signalled to one of his men. The Arrancar nodded and stepped forward, grabbing the restrained woman and releasing her from the wall so she could be dragged, biting and kicking, to what Aizen jokingly thought of as his 'throne room'.

Once he was seated above her, the men escorting the blonde tossed her without ceremony at his feet. She glared up at him, continuing to struggle with her restraints as he smiled condescendingly at her.

"Hmm, it's a shame you went into covert work, Aoki-san." Aizen said after a few moments, reaching a hand out. "You are quite a pretty little thing..." He brushed his fingers over her cheek and she snapped her jaws at him, attempting to bite his hand. He chuckled and evaded her teeth, playing with a lock of her hair. She shuddered in disgust at the feel of him touching her, feeling his tainted aura engulf her in his putrid essence.

"Don't touch me, you filth!" she snarled, twisting her head out of his clutches. She was breathing hard, and he could see the intense fury burning in her eyes. So much passion... Even imprisoned, even chained up and at his mercy she still looked at him as though she'd like nothing more than to bite a chunk out of his throat. How fascinating.

"Calm down, Aoki-san, I don't know what you are so worked up about."

"Why are you keeping me alive?" she demanded hotly, "Is this one of your sick games? Play with me before you kill me? Well fuck you! Just kill me and get it over with. I'd rather take my chances in the fires of Hell than look at your face a moment longer!"

Aizen just smiled that damnably serene smile and patted her head. She cringed at the placating touch and felt bile rise in her throat.

"I'm afraid you are far too useful to me alive, Aoki-san. So you'll have to forgive me for not granting you that request."

"What makes you think I'd help out a rat like you?" she growled, eyes daring him to touch her again. This time, he wouldn't evade losing a finger.

Aizen's expression never wavered, but he didn't touch her again. He was rather used to having all of his fingers firmly attached.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice. Unless you want everyone in the 2nd Division to have very unfortunate, painful deaths." he said cheerily, like he was discussing the weather.

Tatsu scoffed and scowled at him, "You think you can take on the entire Onmitsukido force? Ha! You would be eaten alive. You and your dumb ass Arrancar!"

Aizen leaned in closer, eyes boring into Tatsu's, the dark malice in them causing a warning shiver to go up her spine.

"What you don't understand, Aoki-san, is that I can choose to take over Seireitei whenever I feel." Her eyes narrowed at him. "I have more than enough Arrancar to destroy every shinigami in Soul Society. But that would be dreadfully boring, wouldn't it?" He chuckled, watching her renewed struggle against the chains. "It's up to you, however. If you aren't going to do as I ask then I may as well begin the attack now. But if you do as I ask... Well, you could buy your friends some time then, couldn't you?"

She looked away from him, unable to look at his face. She felt sick, and she could no longer hide the shivers that racked her body. Her head throbbed and her arms ached from the pressure of the chains. And she knew, she _knew_, that she had no choice but to do what he told her to. Because the sadistic bastard wouldn't kill her, he'd make her watch while he killed everyone she'd ever cared about. She couldn't let that happen. No matter the cost.

So she gritted her teeth and glared up at him, feeling defeated and disgusted with herself as she uttered the fateful question.

"What do you want me to do?"

Aizen smiled, like a child that had been given his favourite toy, and leaned back in his chair. "You're going to use your skills from the Covert Operations Squad." he said smugly, looking pleased with himself. "You're going to go out amongst my Arrancar and tell me of any plans they may come up with to overthrow me."

"Trouble in paradise?" Tatsu spat sourly, mockingly.

Aizen smiled, "Not yet, but a good leader must be prepared of course." he replied sagely.

"So you want me to spy on your Arrancar for you? What makes you think I won't get caught?" she asked, frowning sharply.

"It would be in your best interests not to. After all, my children will not be happy to find a shinigami in their midst." His smile turned into more of a leer.

"I look and sound nothing like an Arrancar! And my reiatsu is completely different! It's impossible!" Tatsu growled indignantly. The thought of spending her time out amongst those... those... _beasts_, was her idea of Hell. She'd do anything to avoid a forced existence alongside the very creatures she was meant to destroy.

Aizen just smirked at her excuses, cutting her off before she could list a thousand more reasons why she couldn't do it. "I can disguise your appearance, and your reiatsu. The rest, naturally, will be up to you. But judging by your reputation, a little acting is not outside the range of your abilities."

Tatsu scowled and huffed, "I'm only a 3rd Seat, Aizen. My abilities are not as developed as you might think."

"I doubt that very highly, Aoki-san. You were, after all, a favourite of Soi Fon's. She only picks the best."

Tatsu snorted and looked away again, unable to deny his words, and hating him all the more for it. "So... When do I start?" she muttered bitterly.

"You can have a few days to heal and get used to your new form. Then I will expect you out there." He reached into the folds of his hakama, pulling out a thin chain and a crystal-like pendant. Tatsu blinked as the necklace caught the light, distorting the image behind it and playing tricks with her eyes.

"What the hell is that thing?" she asked, blinking again as the refracted light from the crystal shined on her face.

"I had this little necklace developed specifically for this purpose." Aizen told her, swinging the item hypnotically in front of her face. "It has abilities similar to my zanpakuto. It will disguise your appearance and mask your spiritual energy so that you seem like an Arrancar. A handy little device, ne?"

Tatsu frowned and remained silent and Aizen slipped the object over her head. She had a sudden flashback to a dream she'd had a long time ago. Of fiery red hair and dark auburn eyes. She looked up at the ex-captain as he suddenly released her from her binds. She rubbed her sore arms and a glint of crimson caught her eye.

Her hair, as long and lustrous as before, was now a startling shade of red, hauntingly similar to that of a certain vice-captain's, and when she looked down at herself she saw that her hands were now adorned with black, claw-like nails. Further inspection revealed that she had a "hollow hole" nestled between her breasts, and a masquerade style mask of bone around both of her eyes. She looked at Aizen with a frown, feeling dirty when his eyes trailed up and down her form.

"Well, well, Aoki-san. You look quite good like this."

"Shut your mouth!" she snarled, crossing her arms in an attempt to shield herself from his gaze.

He stood, causing her to back away quickly before he could touch her. He kept smiling that chilling, creepy smile as he signalled for her to follow him. He led her to an adjacent room, throwing random bits of clothing at her from a sliding panel in the wall.

"Put those on, and I'll have Gin show you to your new room. You'll be given three days to recover." He said briskly.

A faint pinkish tint dusted across the blonde-turned-redhead's cheeks. "You don't want me to change right now?" she asked incredulously. "I'm not going to strip for your pleasure, you perverted fuck!"

Aizen merely smiled and watched her quietly, seeing her finally give up on modesty and quickly remove her tattered uniform. She pulled the clothes he'd given her on quickly, making sure her back was turned on him so he wouldn't see her nudity. The new clothing didn't cover much, the white material barely stretching across her breasts, and the flowing skirt with it's black sash belt had revealing slits going up both sides. _Perverted old traitor... _she thought in disgust, tugging awkwardly at the sorry excuse for a shirt. She turned to face him again, expression sour, and bared her teeth at him.

"Happy now, you lech? May I go now? I feel if I have to look at you a moment longer I'll spit bile onto the floor."

Aizen patted her head and waved a hand. Ichimaru Gin seemed to materialize from out of the shadows.

"Ah, Aizen-sama, ya needed me for somethin'?" he said in that overly cheerful drawl.

"Yes, could you please show this new Arrancar to her room?" Aizen said, a wry tone to his voice.

"Of course, Aizen-sama." Gin said, bowing slightly, "And what shall I call this "new Arrancar"?"

Aizen looked Tatsu up and down and she was once again tempted to rip a chunk out of his flesh with her teeth.

"Crimson. Her name is Crimson Rayo." he answered, smirking.

"Well then, Crimson, follow me." Gin said, walking ahead of Tatsu. She followed after him reluctantly, looking back at Aizen with murderous eyes.

And then, when she was finally alone in the room that was to be her new prison, she contemplated the deep hell she'd been forced into. And the sheer weight of the pain and betrayal that clawed at her gut brought her to her knees.

What was she to do now? How could she survive this?

She was a solitary shinigami amongst a thousand Arrancar. She was alone.

She was dead....

//

**Whew! First chapter!** **So, how's it lookin' so far? I think Tatsu sounds a little prissy... But then again, she thinks Aizen's a scumbag so that's not that surprising. **

**Tatsu: Are, we need to talk...**

**Are: What now?**

**Tatsu: I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the readers seeing me all naked, and in such revealing clothing. It's embarrassing!**

**Are: Well, it's important to show all the gory details. I mean, Aizen can't be shown as an evil pervert if there's nothing about you getting naked and being forced to wear sexy clothes!**

**Tatsu: ... I hate you...**

**Are: I love you too, sweetie. Now tell the readers what I said before.**

**Tatsu: *sigh* Alright... You see the little button just below all this text? If you click it, and write some words, then Are will write more chapters. And hopefully get me some proper clothes... So please, Read and Review!  
**


	2. Red and Blue 1

All this white was going to drive her mad...

The blank walls were too bright to her eyes, to stark and lifeless. It made the feeling of being trapped worse, it made her claustrophobic. Those blank walls that squeezed in upon her like some horrid deathtrap and made her unable to breath.

She ran out of there, fast as she could which was considerably faster than most. She could sit under the false sun for hours, and the thought of returning to the barrenness within made her soul ache. it was getting to be too much...

Two weeks she'd been in this bleached white hell, _two weeks_ of nothing but white, white, white. White walls, white hollow masks... black souls...

She'd done as Aizen asked, she integrated herself into the "community", she watched his Espada. She'd found nothing so far. Not that she was giving it her all. To put it lightly, her heart was not in her work.

When Aizen had come to her after her alloted recovery time she'd managed to pick up what she thought of as her "Arrancar persona". She'd changed the way she walked, the cadence of her speech, her attitude, so that she could fit in without seeming suspicious. She'd observed the Arrancar around her after that, categorizing the different "types" she found.

The third Espada, for example, Tia Halibel was a quiet and reserved type who generally only spoke to her fraccion, and even then very little. It seemed to Tatsu that this woman possessed a rare set of morals in this brutish subculture.

Whereas the fifth Espada, Noitra, was the opposite. A man completely without morals or restraint. He was an animal to the very core.

It was the sixth Espada, Grimmjow Jaggerjaques, that she chose to imitate, as his attitude seemed more common than the others. He was cocky, and full of attitude and bloodlust in equal amounts. It was easy to pick up on his lazy slurred speach and confident demeanor. And she could be agressive when she needed to be.

But despite her efforts, and despite the fear that threatened to send to into a panic at every moment, she was still a prime target for the Arrancar...

-//-

"My children, I would like you to meet you newest sibling." Aizen's voice, always sounding half-amused, like everything was a poor joke. "I hope you will come to accept her, as she shall be working as my assistant from now on..." It was something they'd agreed on, an excuse for her to report to him. Giving her Espada rank was a death sentence, so this would have to do.

Protests rang, and Tatsu did her best not to quake under the accusing eyes of the Arrancar. One particular gaze was considerably more murderous than the other, a woman in even skimpier clothing than Tatsu herself, and high black pigtails erupting in curls on top of her head. Loly? Was that her name? She couldn't recall. But the girl undoubtedly wanted her dead. Was it jealousy? The woman apparently worshipped Aizen, she was even giving the human girl, the ryoka Inoue Orihime, a hard time. She seemed to think that they were somehow "close" to Aizen. And that was a right only Loly bore, apparently.

"You stay away from Aizen, you fuckin' whore bitch!" The girl had snarled at her, her blonde sister Menoly standing behind her.

"I'm the whore? Looks like you want to be. What, you couldn't satisfy Aizen-sama?" she asked cockily, raising a cool eyebrow at the enflamed female. The woman had growled and both her and her sister had made to attack her. Thankfully, they were slow and they never managed to get a hit in before they were interrupted. When they spotted Gin Ichimaru watching them, they'd quickly dispersed.

"We'll get you next time, Crimson whore..." they promised.

-//-

But it wasn't those two that worried her, it was the ones with more power...

The Espada were suspicious of her. They knew she was hanging around them more than she should be. They knew she was up to something, though they didn't know what. And she spent every day afraid of what the consequences would be if she was found out.

She wasn't afraid of death, she welcomed that, it would be a release from Aizen's dreadful hold on her. But she knew enough about the creatures surrounding her to know that she would never get off that easy. And whatever punishment she received would be worse than the hell she was already in.

So she bided her time, waiting for the moment when a spark of hope might release her from the blank nothingness that now consumed her entire being.

The only thing that roused her was that first fight. And the many that came after.

Why they felt the need to challenge her strength when she obviously didn't have any...

-//-

"Oi, woman!" The voice was gruff and demanding, immediately putting her on the defense.

"What?" she snarled. "I ain't got time t' deal with any lowlife idiots right now!"

But when she turned around, it wasn't a "lowlife" but an Espada. The sixth Espada to be precise.

"Ah, Grimmjow-sama, forgive my tone, I didn't recognize you..." She offered a careless smirk, which he threw back at her.

He was a large man, taller than she was, though she was tall for a woman, and she was forced to look up as he stepped in just a little too close for comfort. His broad chest radiating heat out towards her. He didn't say anything for several moments, which made her nervous and she retreated slightly from his muscular torso. He flashed a malicious grin, which caused something inside her to quiver. His messed, vibrant hair was falling in his face, and the jewel bright colour reminded her of another who smiled so wildly.

He would be handsome, she supposed, if he wasn't a monster. As a shinigami she may have been attracted to him. But she was resistant to even the strongest of charms from a _Hollow_. So she just glared while she waited to hear whatever it was he wanted.

"So, tell me, woman..." he began, looking her up and down, sizing her up. "How exactly does a skinny chick like you get Aizen's attention? I always figured he'd go for somethin' with a li'l more meat on her."

_Skinny?! I am __**not**__ skinny! _She thought, offended at his very _tone_ and raising herself up to her full height and baring her teeth.

"Maybe this chick doesn't have to sleep with the boss to get his attention. He picked me 'cause he knew I'd get the job done." She was sick of this argument, sick of trying to convince a thousand ruthless souls that she wasn't just Aizen's call-girl.

"Well it makes a guy curious..." Grimmjow said, chuckling deeply. "As to what exactly you can do that's so wonderful."

"That's between me and Aizen-sama." Now there was a warning tingle working up her spine, just what was Grimmjow getting at?

Through out this exchange the teal-haired Espada had slowly guided Tatsu further and further back. It was only a moment later when she felt her back collide with a wall and her eyes went wide.

_Shit! He was cornering me!_

The Arrancar licked his lips lewdly, looking over her body with a look that told her exactly what he was thinking.

"Get away from me, you pig!" she shrieked, completely forgetting to make her voice sound different. Forgetting that she was supposed to sound tough.

Grimmjow's grin only widened, "Why don't ya stop me?" he challenged, taking a final step closer and grabbing her wrists, pinning them against the wall, his body colliding with hers. "'Cause ya can't even scream for help now..." he purred. "I made sure we were alone..."

Panic bubbled in her throat blocking off any chance of a worthless scream. A quick check around her proved that he was right, there was no one else around for at least half a mile. Damn these endless corridors!

She turned her face away from his, inhaling sharply through her nose as she gathered herself. She was still a disciple of Soi Fon's, she was still trained by the best the Punishment Force could offer, she _would not allow_ herself to be soiled by an Arrancar's hands on her. She opened her eyes slowly and looked at him coldly. She was a shinigami, and he was in big trouble.

"Release me. This instant." she demanded slowly, as if he was too stupid to understand if she didn't spell it out.

That pissed him off, he was a little reckless, but he wasn't stupid. He pinned her more firmly against the wall, digging his fingers into the tender, pale flesh of her wrist until he was sure it would bruise.

"Or what? You're just Aizen's little bitch. Ya can't do anythin' to me." he growled.

"Oh, really?" she hissed, bursting out like a fireball of energy.

She swept his feet out from under him, tumbling forward with him due to the grip he still had on her wrists. She kept her knees together, landing squarely in the centre of his gut and making him splutter and wheeze. She broke his hold on her, rolling off of him and getting to her feet in one smooth movement. She turned to run.

But he grabbed onto her ankle, pulling her down to the floor, dodging the kick she aimed at his face. She gritted her teeth and scissored her legs, gripping his shoulder in a vice-like grip and flipping him off of her. She scrambled to her feet just as he did, opting for a defensive position as he popped the joints in his neck. The look he sent her was chilling, and she swallowed hard. This was going to hurt...

"You play hard, woman. I like that." he said, pasting a crude smile on his lips and lunging at her.

She barely had enough time to block before he was attacking again and she was thrown back into a wall from the force of the blow. She cried out at the impact, but remained on her feet, glaring at him through the bone-white mask on her face. She roared and flashed forward, aiming low and punching him right in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. She back up a step and went into a high kick, spinning and hitting him in the side of the face with the flat side of her foot. He went flying too, in a high arc, landing on his feet (a little wobbly) and aiming a murderous glare in her direction.

"That actually hurt..." he muttered, regaining his footing and charging at her.

"Wasn't supposed to tickle." she quipped, ducking around his charge and landing on his shoulders, using all the weight and force she could muster to plow him into the floor.

When she jumped off she was hoping she'd knocked him out, but she should have known better. Before she had time to blink he'd grabbed her and pulled her onto the ground, rolling on top of her so she was crushed beneath his weight. She gasped and struggled but it was no use, he was considerably heavier than she was and she couldn't get him off, she was trapped beneath his larger body. He looked down at her with a triumphant grin, a bit of blood trickling out of the side of his mouth, and she trembled in obvious fear.

_No, no, no, NO! This isn't over! This can't be happening! _Her mind screamed at her, she was panicking, unsure what to do. Her reaction at that point was completely instinctive,

"Sakidasu! Aiyoku Yuka!" she called, a frantic hand gripping the hilt of her zanpakuto.

_Bloom, Fragrant Passion..._

She'd been given back her zanpakuto, merely as a precaution. She couldn't use it anyway, considering if she did it would reveal she was a shinigami. But, as Grimmjow had so kindly pointed out, they were alone. If she wanted her secret to stay safe, she'd need Yuka to silence him.

"Fuck!" Grimmjow screamed, a deep black mark covering his bare chest as he was flung back from her. In Tatsu's hand was a long bladed whip, with thin plated scales of flexible metal overlapping in a lethal length of slithering silver. The black mark on Grimmjow's chest spread like spilled ink, and suddenly erupted in green-black flames, scorching him with fire from the bowels of Hell.

The pain was incredible, his torso completely engulphed in flame and burning. He felt as if his skin was about to melt off. But even through the haze of pain, a fact registered in his mind.

"Shinigami!" he howled, throwing his blazing figure at her, hands aiming to wrap around her throat. She flipped him over her shoulder, apparently unaffected by the fire, and planted a foot on his chest as the flames slowly dissapated, leaving that same, inky black mark on his chest.

"If you want the mark gone... You'll have to kill me..." she murmured, eyes flashing their true green behind the disguise. "As long as the mark remains I can burn you like that again..."

A flash of what almost seemed like fear appeared in his eyes for a moment, but it quickly fell and he snarled. "Bastard shinigami bitch!" he growled. He was fully prepared to make her pay for the pain she'd just put him through.

But he never got the chance, she'd gotten to her knees beside him and was tugging her shirt aside, pulling it so her chest was almost completely exposed. She pointed to the spot just above her heart.

"Kill me!" she demanded. In a moment of startling clarity she'd seen her opportunity to be free. To get away from this fate that drained her very soul. "Punch your fist into my chest and rip out my heart if you like! Just get it over with! Otherwise I'll bake you again!"

The sixth strongest Arrancar was thrown for a loop, staring at her in confusion. "The hell are ya asking me to kill ya for?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he sat up slowly.

She snarled and pulled the "pendant" up over her head, removing her disguise. Her red hair turned back to blonde, her eyes to green, and the mask and hollow hole simply disappeared. "Look! I'm a shinigami! I'm your enemy, so stop asking stupid questions and just kill me already!"

Grimmjow looked at her face, catching her eyes and looking deeply into them, sensing her desperation.

There were a few moments of complete silence, so quiet as to be deafening. Finally, Grimmjow spoke, and his words made Tatsu's eyes widen in shock.

"No. I ain't killing ya just 'cause ya asked me to. What fun is that?" He grinned crookedly, and it was her turn to look confused.

"T-then fight me! I'll never beat you, right? You're an Espada, and I was only a 3rd Seat when I was a shinigami!"

Grimmjow chuckled, "Wasn't too bad for a shinigami actually, ya might stand a chance."

A tormented look came into her eyes. "Sadistic bastard..." she sighed and waved a hand, her Zanpakuto went back into it's sealed form and the mark on Grimmjow's chest disappeared. "Then I'll just wait to be destroyed when you tell the others what I am..."

She stood, brushing herself off, offering him a hand getting up. His confusion rose as he took her hand, getting to his feet.

"Why do ya want to die so bad?" he asked.

"Because if I'm dead Aizen can't control me anymore..." she replied bitterly. What point was there in hiding her secrets now?

Grimmjow nodded, not completely understanding, but knowing why she was so eager to die.

"I'll make ya a deal, shinigami..." he said, grinning slyly. "You tell me what Aizen hired ya for, and I'll kill ya."

She looked at him, eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You will? A moment ago you said you wouldn't..."

His grin widened. "Well I ain't going to kill ya right now. But I will eventually. And until I do, I ain't going to tell anybody else you're a shinigami."

She frowned deeply. "And why wouldn't you?"

He laughed harshly and she flinched. "'Cause. I want to keep the satisfaction of killing you for myself."

"I see..." She thought it over, while he waited, watching his expression. He was an asshole, and he was evil. But she was pretty sure he was telling the truth. And she got what she wanted either way...

"Well then, Grimmjow. You've got a deal. I'll tell you everything I know." He grinned and they shook hands.

It was the strangest bond that any world had ever seen. A deathly deal, made in a world where one didn't belong, and the other didn't want to be.

-//-

"And then I kicked your ass, Grimmjow."

She'd told him everything from her capture to her battle with him. And up until that last point he'd remained silent and listened.

"The battle might've gone in your favour for a minute, shinigami, but don't get cocky. I would've killed ya in the end."

She nodded and sighed. "Yeah, and I would've been perfectly happy with that..."

"So what's your name?" he asked, and she frowned once again in confusion.

"My name?"

"Well it obviously ain't "Crimson Rayo" like you keep sayin' it is. So what is it really?"

"Tatsu. Aoki Tatsu."

"Well, Aoki, ya have a pretty interesting story. I think I'm gonna keep my eye on ya."

She smirked lightly, pulling the pendant back over her head and tucking her sword back into her belt. The disguise was back. "If you can keep up, you can certainly try." she turned away from him, leaving, but just before she was gone she turned to him. "And, Grimmjow? Until you kill me, it's Crimson. Don't call me by my real name just yet... "

He nodded and watched her go. And he wondered to himself just what he was going to do about the shinigami in their midst, or whether he was going to do anything at all.

"Well I know one thing..." he murmured to himself. "For a shinigami, she's got one fine ass..."

-//-

**Chapter two for the win! It's finally done! I'm so sorry it took so long T_T**

**Tatsu: -sighs and lays on bed- This chapter was exhausting...**

**Are: -snickers- Wait until you see the next one, T. Then you'll be tired.**

**Tatsu: … Who are you making me have sex with!?!**

**Are: -laughs- You have to wait!**

**Tatsu: -cries- Damn you! I am not a whore! **

**Are: -whispers- Not yet maybe...**

**Review please! I worked really hard!**


	3. Red bleeding Red

**WARNING: This chapter contains a graphic sequence of RAPE. If that's gonna bother you, you shouldn't be reading this story...**

_Four weeks and counting..._

She was even more tense than usual, waiting for Grimmjow to rat her out. But he never did, he kept his word. What a weird concept... an honest Arrancar. It seemed very odd to her. But she was grateful that he'd kept his silence.

But he still made her nervous, when he looked at her from across the room with unmasked lust in his gaze. That look made her skin tingle with what she told herself was fear. Had any man ever looked at her that way? Or had they just been more subtle than Grimmjow? She wasn't sure, but she suspected that she was drawing closer to a time when she would wake up to find him in her bed with her.

That frightened her.

But she had more important things to worry about. She still had nothing to give Aizen, and she could tell, despite the cool mask he wore, that he was becoming impatient. She wondered what he would do if she proved to be of no use to him.

"Crimson-san, Aizen-sama has requested your presence." The messenger stated briskly.

"Hai." she replied. She would find out his reaction soon enough...

-//-

Skimming across the sand on a long, serpentine hollow, were the would-be heroes. Off to rescue Inoue Orihime, and hopefully aid in defeating Aizen from the inside. A human, a Quincy, a substitute shinigami, a shinigami and a shinigami Vice-Captain, all riding alongside the Hollow companions Ichigo had discovered in the form of a small girl named Nel and her caretakers. Each one had their own reasons for coming to this barren place, for acting to save the human girl.

Sado Yasutora, the human man, had promised to fight for Ichigo, to help the boy in his battles. He held steadfastly to that promise at he looked out at the desert surrounding him. For him it was simple. This was what Ichigo was fighting for. That was more than enough for him.

Ishida Uryu felt responsible for Inoue. All that time they'd spent in Soul Society had made him protective of her. She had an innocence about her, a purity he hated to see tarnished, even more than he hated to see a torn seam or a ripped piece of clothing. A tainted Orihime seemed like a violation against nature. He'd watched her pine over Ichigo, had seen her hold herself back from the brink of a battle she knew she couldn't get involved in. He'd watched her pour her heart and soul into becoming stronger, just so that she wouldn't have to leave her friends' sides. It broke his heart, to think that even now, she needed them and they couldn't get there fast enough.

Kurosaki Ichigo always felt responsible for the people he cared about. Like it was somehow his fault that something had gone wrong in their lives. Even now he wished that his influence hadn't gotten Inoue in this mess in the first place. It was all his fault, it was always his fault. He had to fix it.

Kuchiki Rukia was like Ishida, she'd been friends with Orihime, had loved her like a sister. The thought of her getting hurt was nearly unbearable. How could anyone hurt a girl like Orihime? How could anyone be so horrible?

Abarai Renji had entirely different reasons than the rest. He'd barely known Orihime, and though he thought she was sweet and wanted to save her, his eyes were set more on finding the Arrancar and fighting them, getting stronger. They were about to begin a terrifying war. It seemed he was far more aware of that then the rest... But he wasn't about to wait for it to happen, Soul Society had dismissed the idea of sending a team in far too quickly in his opinion. Wouldn't it be better to strike first? To find out what they were fighting? Why had Yamamoto-soutaichou been so against this? He frowned slightly to himself, wondering if he wasn't doing something stupid and reckless again. He probably was. But his instincts told him that this was where he was needed. And they hadn't let him down yet.

-//-

"A-Aizen-...sama?" Inoue Orihime felt so small, so helpless, standing in the middle of the room with Arrancar surrounding her, completely trapped. Aizen was in front of her, and the silence was so complete that even the sound of a person's breathing seemed muted. She was trembling, but she did her best to hide it, she had to be strong.

When the silence was finally broken it made her jump nearly out of her skin. So loud! The door slammed open and when the woman with long red hair walked in everyone turned to look. The woman strode up to stand beside Orihime while everyone watched, and she bowed curtly to Aizen. Orihime could only stare at the woman beside her. She stood in the same position as Orihime, surrounded, unable to get away. But she didn't seem afraid, she stood tall and proud. She looked Aizen dead in the eyes and she didn't waver. The human girl was completely in awe.

"Ah, Crimson-kun. So good of you to join us..."

"You _did_ summon me, Aizen-sama." Crimson replied, blinking, voice deadpan.

"I did." Aizen confirmed, smiling in that all-knowing way of his. "I thought that you would all like to know, that we have intruders in Hueco Mundo."

There were scattered murmurs, voicing fading into a buzz of excitement. Grimmjow was the first to speak up, standing up from his chair, where the Espada sat alongside Aizen. "Well, what're we doin' here then? We gotta go get 'em!" he said gruffly, and a few nodded and murmured in agreement.

"Always so enthusiastic, Grimmjow..." Aizen said quietly, "They are not yet a problem. We shall leave them be."

"You're gonna wait until they become a problem? That's foolish! Ya gotta stop an infestation b'fore it starts!" Grimmjow turned as if to leave the room, but he was immediately stopped by a surge of reiatsu crushing down on him.

He choked, unable to breathe, while everyone else looked on with blank faces. Orihime clapped a hand over her face in horror, whimpering under her breath.

"S-Stop! Stop it! You're hurting him!" she cried out, eyes wide in innocent shock.

Aizen looked and smirked at her. "You would like me to stop, Orihime-san?"

"Stop it! Please!"

Crimson looked over at Orihime, frowning. So this was the ryoka girl from that time before? She seemed so... human...

Aizen released Grimmjow, letting the man fall to the floor as he spluttered for breath. He coughed harshly and went shakily back to his seat. Crimson pressed her lips together in a small frown. Aizen truly didn't care about the ones who worked for him. They were just tools to him. Just another way he disgusted her. She never used to treat her subordinates this way.

"Moving on. The intruders should arrive in the next few days. I expect that all of you know how to welcome them?" he chuckled, like they were going to throw a party. But nevertheless the Arrancar nodded. You welcomed intruders with a bare blade. Aizen smiled, so sweet as to make your stomach roll, before he stood, beckoning to the women in the centre of the room. "I would like to speak to the two of you. Come this way."

Crimson walked ahead, her legs were longer than Orihime's, and the human girl was hesitating. But in the end they both ended up in another pure white room. Alone with Aizen.

"Crimson, tie Orihime-san's hands for me." He said, smiling at the redhead.

"Sorry?" Orihime said, eyes wide. "I-I won't do anything bad! You don't have to tie me up!"

Aizen chuckled, his eyes glinting with lewd intentions as he gazed at the girl. Crimson felt bile rise in her throat.

"No." she said darkly. "I won't tie her up so you can play your sick games with her..." she growled.

Aizen met her gaze with another serene smile. "You have no choice." he purred, words laced with venom. "I shall use Orihime-san as I please. Whether you like it or not."

Orihime was frozen, eyes wide, hands over her mouth. The meaning of his words was slowly dawning on her, and with it came a bubble of panic that rose up her throat.

"No! No!" she wanted it to be a scream, but all that came out was a whisper, like her voice had been stolen away from her. Crimson looked over at the horror stricken girl and her eyes narrowed. This wasn't right, she had to stop it. But how...?

"Take me." she said, turning her gaze back to Aizen.

The man pursed his lips, looking interested in her words. "What was that?"

"Take me instead." the shinigami girl demanded, "This girl is just a human, she'll break before you get any satisfaction out of her. Use me instead."

Inside she was trembling, wanting to scream out that she didn't mean it. But she couldn't back down now. She'd seen the look on Aizen's face, and she would not let an innocent girl be defiled by this bastard's twisted desires.

"An... interesting offer..." he said, smiling slowly. "But either way, how do I know that it will satisfy me?"

"I'll make sure it does. I'll do whatsoever you ask."

The smile widened, and she knew that had been exactly what he wanted to hear.

"Ulquiorra, take Orihime-san back to her chamber."

As the orange-haired girl was dragged out of the room she looked back. The woman looked frightening and strong, and not scared at all. But inside Inoue knew that she had just been saved. "Thank you..." she whispered, so quiet you could barely hear it.

But Tatsu heard, and closed her eyes against the crushing fear. She was doing this for that sweet, young girl. She was protecting an innocent. That was who she was. Whatever Aizen might do to her... It was worth it for that single breathless thank you.

-//-

A scream of pain ripped through the air, only minutes later. It was followed by more, becoming louder and louder as the pounding rhythm of hips and blood grew faster.

She knew that it only aroused him more when she screamed, but the pain was too great for her to deny him. She was ripping from the inside out, blood trickling down her thighs in a river of pain and disgust. He hadn't even bothered to remove his clothes, though he'd forced her to remove her own. She felt so exposed in front of his eyes, like her clothes had been armour and now she was open to attack.

Then he'd told her to bend over, on all fours, and the humiliation was apparent on her face. But she did as she was asked, a good little slave, and forced herself not to whimper when she heard the rustling of his hakama. There was no warning before he was shoving himself into her, invading her body. Tears had immediately sprung into her eyes and she'd choked on her own saliva in her shock. But he'd given her no rest, no time to adjust, and had simply begun thrusting his hips against hers. That was when the screaming started.

"Yes, scream for me. You're helpless before me, so scream." he'd murmured in her ear, his voice was thick with lust and she flinched in disgust.

He started touching her, groping her breasts, stroking her legs, her back, her ass. Every place he touched seemed to be caked in a layer of grime so deep she could never wash it clean.

"S-stop, please, stop..." she whined, voice hoarse from screaming. Her eyes were blank and glassy with pain and shock. "N-no more. Please..."

Her begging must've been too much for him, because it was only a moment later when she felt him swell and jerk inside her.

"No! No, don't!"

But it was too late, she felt him orgasm, his sticky, thick seed filling her up and mixing crudely with her blood. When he pulled out of her she mewled in pain and slumped the the ground. Blood and other liquids she dared not name dripped down her thighs in thick drops. She whimpered pathetically.

The look he sent her was pure malice, he was completely satisfied. She shuddered as she realized what he had just done to her.

"I know that you dream of escape." he murmured, and her eyes clenched shut against his hissing voice, not wanting to hear it. "But do you really want to go home now? What will they think of you, tarnished and spoiled as you are now?"

She choked on a sob. So this had been his plan all along, to punish her, to break her. And she'd let him. Hell, she had asked him to. She hung her head in shame, tears of pain and humiliation streaking down her face.

"Get dressed and get out. I'm finished with you for tonight."

-//-

When she finally managed to hobble her way back to her room, Grimmjow was waiting for her.

"Here for Aizen's sloppy seconds, you pig?!" she growled, glaring half-heartedly at him and collapsing onto her bed. She was so tired... She wanted to sleep forever, never wake up again. Never face the reality of what had just happened. "Go ahead. I don't fucking care any more..."

The teal-haired male raised an eyebrow at her. He'd been waiting there, expecting to find her tired and vulnerable to him. He wanted her, he wasn't afraid to admit it. But seeing her like this, so obviously abused, was an immediate turn off.

"Oi. What happened t' _you_?" he asked, sitting himself on the edge of her bed and looking down at her still form. His nose wrinkled at the scent of blood and sex that clung to her.

"What the hell does it look like?!" she snarled, curling up in a ball so he couldn't touch her.

He frowned, looking her over. She was trembling, just barely but he could still see. And she looked... broken somehow... His brow furrowed.

"What's th' matter with ya?" he asked, confused.

She just sighed and shook her head. "Just... go away, Grimmjow... I can't deal with you right now..."

His frown only deepened at her words, and he looked, for a moment, like a confused child. But a twinge of something unfamiliar had him getting to his feet and turning out the light. Shrouded in the dark he crawled in beside her and wrapped and hesitant arm around her shoulders. She looked back at him, surprised, but didn't push him away.

It was strange to think that Grimmjow was trying to comfort her. But she'd seen stranger in this forgotten, barren place. So she allowed herself to lean back into the touch and sigh, and feel warm. His touch was gentle, so different from the touch that had hurt her before. She thought, perhaps, she could cleanse herself of this shame after all...

Grimmjow watched her fall asleep and scowled at himself. He didn't know why he was being nice to her all of a sudden... But he figured he could call it temporary insanity and get away with it. So he fell asleep too. Because the next day, they were enemies again.

-//-

Wow, so that was the first rape scene I've ever written... So what do ya think? XD

Tatsu: **-cries- **Are! Why did you do this to me!?

Are: Plot point, Tatsu honey, plot point

Tatsu: I'm gonna go die now...

Are: Just make sure you revive for the next chapter.

Tatsu: **-sobs-**

Please Review! I'm working really hard on this so please show me that its worth it T_T


	4. Red and Blue 2

The morning after was like a bright ray of sunshine on a puddle of blood. It only made the horror of it brighter, easier to see. It did nothing to cleanse away the feeling of guilt and horror.

Grimmjow was gone as well, and she wondered if she was supposed to thank him. Not that she wanted to see him, she didn't want to see anyone, or anything. She wanted to hide away from the world. She never wanted anyone to look at her again, to see the marks of shame upon her body. Aizen was right, she could never escape now, could never go home, not with this sin tainting her very blood.

Somewhere in her mind she knew that she'd done nothing wrong, that it was Aizen who'd violated her and that he was the one who should be ashamed. But her mind was too full of the thought that it was _her_ fault. She'd ask him to take her instead of Orihime, she'd asked him to violate her, to hurt her, she'd promised him that she'd do whatever he asked.

She didn't leave her room that day, and no one came looking for her. For a few hours she pretended she was alone in the world. It was the only comforting thought she could muster until she finally fell asleep again. Her battered body needed all the time it could get in order to heal.

Outside her door stood a gruff man with a shock of teal-blue hair, arms crossed, glaring at any passers by. Most people saw his piercing gaze and walked away quickly, though a few of the braver ones gave him curious looks. The other members of the Espada did not seem concerned.

Grimmjow didn't bother explaining why he was standing in front of Crimson's door. He didn't really have an explanation for himself. He was just playing guard until the life came back into the woman's eyes. Because her eyes were dead, dead and dull and pained and it struck a tiny chord of fear in Grimmjow's chest. He wanted the fiery, sexy Crimson back, he wanted the feisty shinigami in disguise to come back and tell him he was an idiot.

He didn't like her or anything. She was just more entertaining that way. She had guts, she was tough, for a shinigami. But he didn't like her.

-//-

As he wandered through the barren halls of Las Noches, Kurosaki Ichigo looked vaguely confused. There was a small Arrancar girl hanging off of his shoulder, with a cracked mask and a large scar on her young face. His group had met a crossroads, and they were forced to separate. He didn't like it, he didn't like thinking that he couldn't reach them if he was needed. But they'd had no choice.

Renji's words were echoing in his head, powerful, binding words in a chanting voice.

"Now we head towards the battlefield. Believe and our blades will not break! Believe, and our hearts will not bend! Though the roads we take may be different, our iron hearts will beat as one! Swear, that even if the Earth is torn asunder, we will live and return here once again!"

The words held power, they resonated in all of them. And he knew that everyone else was hearing the same echo that he did. He couldn't see them, he couldn't reach them. But they were there. And they'd promised to return alive. He'd have to believe in that.

So he pushed those unwanted thoughts out of his mind, focusing on the steps in front of him, not even noticing the blur of white walls whizzing by him. Nel was asleep, lulled by the rhythm of his footsteps. He wasn't sure why the child had followed him in the first place, but her small, warm presence was strangely comforting on his shoulder. He was used to dealing with kids, being a big brother to two little sisters. It was a long time since his sisters had been this small though.

He hadn't come across any more Arrancar since the group had split up... Where was everyone? _There should be more than this right? _Then why wasn't anyone challenging him?

-//-

Tatsu sat up, walking over to the pristinely white vanity across from her bed. Her room was surprisingly luxurious, with ample cushions on a wide, round bed. She had a chair and a vanity, a small bathroom to herself. The only little problem was that everything was white. And it was a prison, that was a big problem. She was trapped here. It was comfortable. But that didn't change the fact that it was a cage.

She looked at her reflection. It didn't shock her to see a different face in the mirror any more. The mask on her face no longer made her feel cold and strange, her red hair didn't make her cringe. She looked at her image in the mirror and no longer saw a stranger. This was Crimson. She knew this woman, this Arrancar woman. She recognized her, she understood her. She knew the rough, hardened exterior, she knew the cold eyes. This was who she was, outside of this room, this was how people knew her.

And she was beginning to think of the Arrancar as people. Yes, they were often barbaric and violent. But were many of the shinigami she knew any different? She disliked, and even hated, many of the Espada, she'd watched them and had seen all of their hidden cruelty. She knew more about them than she imagined even Aizen knew. She knew all their little quirks, she knew what they did on a daily basis. But she knew that not all of them were that way. They weren't created cruel and evil.

They were Hollows originally. Hollows were just tormented souls, weren't they? It made sense that Arrancar would share some of the same torment. She felt for them, she understood them.

She had to get out of there.

She was losing her sense of herself. She was forgetting who she really was. Crimson was becoming her new persona, and Tatsu was fading into the background...

She turned away from the mirror. She couldn't continue to think this way. She didn't want to think of Tatsu just yet. Tatsu was still broken, Tatsu was still weak and alone. Crimson wasn't alone. She looked to the door, she knew Grimmjow was standing there, guarding her. And that was just another confusing factor of her imprisonment.

Grimmjow had her at his mercy the night before, he could've done anything he wanted to her. But he didn't do anything. He'd held her, he'd been there for her, he'd comforted her, but he hadn't taken advantage of her. It wasn't like him at all.

She went to the door and shoved it open, hearing a satisfying 'smack' as it collided with Grimmjow's back.

"Ow! Fuck!" Grimmjow snarled, turning to face her. "What the hell d'ya think you're doin'? That fuckin' hurt!"

She smirked, cocking her head to one side in a sarcastic gesture. "What's the matter, Grimm? Not fast enough to dodge a swinging door?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

He growled faintly and silence fell between them. She watched his face, his eyes which were looking pointedly away. A small smile played about her lips, and she motioned for him to come inside.

"You've been standing out there for hours, you can come sit." she said, walking in ahead of him.

He looked a little confused, following her in and flopping down unceremoniously on her chair. He watched her settle on the edge of her bed, across from him. Her colour was back, and she had stopped trembling but something was still off. There was a hurt, a pain in her eyes that she kept masked.

He had an idea about what had happened to her. But he had no way of knowing the details. But she seemed to be feeling better than she did. She was tough, maybe tougher than he thought. Maybe she would pull through this alright.

"You're quite vain, aren't you?" Crimson asked wryly. "You never would've touched me if I wasn't willing, it's not about rape with you."

Grimmjow blinked, smirking wryly. "Wha?"

She chuckled. "You're a vain bastard, Grimmjow. You want people to know that you're the best." She flicked her hair over one shoulder. "Anyone can use force, seduction's harder. You would've tried to seduce me, wouldn't you?"

Grimmjow's smirk spread into a grin. "Heh, you're smarter than you look, babe."

She rolled her eyes, "I ain't your "babe". And I'm not into being seduced, either. But I'll tell you what..." she leaned forward. "I'll make you a deal. I gotta get the hell out of here, and I think you can help me."

Grimmjow looked intrigued, leaning forward so their heads were almost touching. "Oh? Why would I do that?"

She grinned back. "Because I think that I can get you out of here too." she replied.

His eyes widened and he sat back again. "What?"

"You hate Aizen just as much as I do. You hate following him, you hate taking his orders. I can make it so that he doesn't get to boss you around any more."

"Yeah, 'n' if I do that, I'll just end up takin' orders from you shinigami. I don't think so." The smile faded from his lips and he sent her a glare.

She didn't waver. "You could run. You could hide out in the human world until this conflict blows over. You'd be free. You'd have to stay undercover but you would be free."

He thought it over, and over and over. It was tempting. Freedom sounded sweet to him, especially coming from such a delectable mouth. But what was the catch? He could just help her and be home free? Nothing was ever that easy.

"What's your plan?" he demanded.

She scowled. "I don't know yet...." she admitted, sighing and running a hand through her hair. "But I do know this." she looked him dead in the eye, and the pained look was gone. It was replaced with steel, with fire, with anger. "He thinks he broke me. He thinks I'm his dutiful slave now. And I'm going to continue to let him think that, I'm going to use it to my advantage. He won't suspect me as long as he thinks I'm docile."

Grimmjow nodded. Okay, so maybe this was sounding good. It could work. "So what d'ya want me to do?" he asked.

She smiled, a little, genuine smile. "I need you, to be the reason why I change sides."

"Wha?"

-//-

In the afternoon Crimson finally made her appearance out in Las Noches. She grinned cockily and walked with a sensual wiggle to her hips, and walking alongside her, looking like the cat that had gotten the cream, was Grimmjow. He wrapped an arm around her slim waist and walked with her towards Aizen's "office".

When they were given permission to see Aizen, the Sexta Espada let go of her and faded back. Crimson smiled prettily at Aizen and bowed.

"Aizen-sama." she murmured, her voice reverent.

"There was something you wanted to say to me, Crimson-kun?"

"Yes. I'd like to say that..." she turned to look at Grimmjow and a small blush tinted her cheeks. "I'd like to say that Aoki Tatsu is dead."

The former captain's passively smiling expression never wavered, but she could see the curious glint in his eye. "Oh?"

"She died with her men. It's taken me awhile to realize it. But she's dead." She grinned. "She had nothing to live for anyway."

Aizen's smile widened a bit. "She didn't did she? She never got what she wanted. She was always keeping her head down. Staying unnoticed."

Crimson shook her head. "That's not what I want. I want more." she insisted.

Aizen nodded. "I can give you more..."

"Please... Aizen-sama..."

-//-

"Crimson's my Fraccion now." Grimmjow announced. "Aizen-sama's given his permission, so she's mine now."

Aizen smiled. "I'm sure she will work well for you, Grimmjow-kun."

"Arigato, Aizen-sama." Grimmjow said, as politely as he could manage.

"Yes," Tatsu whispered to herself. "Thank you..."

-//-

**Tatsu: What's up next? Who knows, be sure to check out the next chapter.**

**Grimmjow: Who knows? I might actually get some tail this time!**

**Tatsu: Oh shut up, Grimmjow!**


	5. Plan Orange

The battles had begun.

The constant hammering of spiritual pressure was clearly felt all through out Las Noches, like a bell ringing constantly, until you had the worst kind of headache.

Ichigo had no idea how long he'd been inside the white washed halls of Aizen's kingdom. There was no way to tell the passage of time. Days or hours, he had no clue, but it was like the whole place was leeching the life from him. He picked up Zangetsu once again, leaving the body of another low level Arrancar behind as he walked down another endless hallway. It was so empty, barren, lifeless. The human heart that beat inside of him ached whenever he looked around.

The little girl was drooling happily on his shoulder, healing the small wounds there while she happily gurgled. He had such a weird feeling about this kid, like there was more than he was seeing. But then she'd start chatting his ear off about the game of tag she'd played with Dondachakka and his worries immediately fled his mind. The big brother in him just couldn't think of this child as an enemy, a Hollow.

"Oi, Nel..."

"Yesh, Itsygo?"

"Can you be quiet for a minute? I think I hear something." He stood still, listening carefully, everything was silent.

It was far too quiet...

-/-

It had been nearly a day since the rescue party had reached Las Noches. She'd learned to count the hours, so she could tell. But from the way both her and Grimmjow were on edge it could've been a week.

"Fuckin' Aizen..." Grimmjow muttered for the thousandth time. He was still peeved that he'd been denied the chance to go after Ichigo again.

Tatsu's stress was for a completely different reason, as Grimmjow didn't have friends out on the battlefield, probably heading for their deaths. Not to mention the fact that her schooling of Grimmjow on how to fake their relationship was not going well.

They'd quickly figured out that pretending to kiss didn't work well for Grimmjow, he got bored and kissed her properly. Not an unpleasant thing by itself, if it weren't for the fact that it threw her concentration out the window. They kissed a lot when there were others around, pretending not to see the people watching as Grimmjow pinned her up against a wall.

Unfortunately for the Sexta Espada, every time he tried this when they were alone Tatsu nearly had a panic attack.

She still had trouble being touched, it was uncomfortable for her, even though she was working on pushing past what Aizen had done to her. She was endlessly thankful that now that she'd "changed sides" the man seemed less intent on torturing her. She thought that it might have had something to do with the fact that she'd pretended to show an interest in wanting to have sex with him. As far as she could tell, he only liked it when his partners screamed in pain. He could only get it up it they were unwilling and forced.

With Aizen's attention distracted by their would-be invaders it was a simple matter to work around him, outside of his supervision. Though Tatsu couldn't help but feel distracted herself...

"Rukia... Renji..." she murmured, feeling the faintly familiar reiatsu pulses that accompanied her thoughts. She knew they were fighting, and while Renji seemed to be alright, Rukia was doing badly, and her life force kept getting weaker. It made Tatsu's chest clench, knowing that she couldn't go over there, couldn't help, couldn't even offer the slightest assistance without blowing her entire scheme against Aizen. She couldn't afford that...

Grimmjow glanced over at her. They shared a room now, which was expected since they were apparently lovers and she was now his Fraccion. They even managed to share a bed, though sleeping beside her without being allowed to touch her was completely frustrating. But he could tell that she was warming up to him, acting less cold. He figured it would only take a couple more days before he could get his hands on her. The thought was satisfying, since he was completely sick of people denying him what he wanted. He was the fucking King, even if nobody realized it yet.

"You can't save them, no matter how much you brood about it." he said, rolling his eyes at her.

She scowled. "Yeah, I know, Mr. Compassion. Doesn't stop me from worrying."

She flicked a few red locks over her shoulder, an idea dawning on her that made her bite her lip.

"Unless..."

"Unless, what?"

She looked at him as the idea slowly dawned on her, her lips trembling both at the risk, and at the hope that it brought in its wake. "Unless we get them captured..."

Grimmjow frowned at her. "The orders are to kill, not capture. Unless it's Kurosaki, nobody is worth keeping."

Tatsu nodded, knowing that was how everyone thought. "But Kurosaki will come for them if they're captured... If they're killed then he'll focus on Inoue and it'll be harder to put him in a vulnerable position, right?"

Grimmjow looked thoughtful for a moment. "Yeah, that's true. He'll come for 'em, for sure. That Orihime girl is well guarded enough that Kurosaki will work to save the others before her, since she's relatively safe..."

"If we gather them, we can grab him too. And we might even be able to get Inoue if they need to be healed... If we gather all of them together... We can escape with them. All of us."

They looked at each other, a little stunned by the opportunity that had been placed in their laps. Grimmjow's lips spread into a grin as he looked at her.

"So where do we start?"

-/-

All across Las Noches people were finding places to sleep, falling down in exhaustion in dark corners where they hoped they wouldn't be found. Ichigo, Rukia, Renji, Sado, Uryu, even Dondachakka and Pesche were all settling in to rest before facing the battles that the morning would bring. Ichigo settled in with a small girl happily snoring on his chest, sleeping restlessly. Rukia was injured and bleeding, but she'd managed to heal the worst of it. Her weakened reiatsu kept her hidden as she collapsed, exhausted in the shadows. Sado and Uryu had ended up meeting again at a crossroads and were taking turns watching for enemies while the other slept.

Renji couldn't sleep, though he was tired. His uniform was mostly torn from his torso, ripped away by blades and spirit energy. This was almost becoming too much. If he wasn't as strong as he was there was no way he'd be alive by now. He had no idea how they were going to fight a war when their opponents were this strong...

He looked up at the white ceiling, wondering what he would find deeper inside. Was his death waiting for him here? It was possible. He'd known it was possible from the moment he had decided to come.

Death didn't frighten him, he'd been at the gates of his own demise before and the thought no longer scared him. But he would fight to his very last breath, with everything that he had. It didn't sound like such a bad way to go, at least if you asked him.

Not that he _wanted _to die, far from it. But it was a possibility.

He rested against the wall, breathing out a sigh. There was so much that could happen, so many complications. He wasn't sure they would be able to work through them all. But hell if they were going to give up. He was in this to the end, and he knew the others were with him. So he kept alert, rested himself and waited for what was to come.

-/-

In another room, a distance away from the sleeping heroes, Grimmjow and Tatsu were laying in their shared bed, discussing their plans for the morning.

"Ya sure ya wanna risk this?" Grimmjow asked her. "Tryin' to save all of 'em might overcomplicate things. Make it more difficult then it needs to be."

Tatsu scowled at him. "You keep forgetting that I know these people, at least some of them, and I'm not willing to leave anyone behind regardless. We'll do what we have to in order to save all of them." she stated firmly.

The blue-haired man sighed, shaking his head at her. "You're gonna blow our whole plan apart, and then we're just gonna end up dead."

"Dead is better than enslaved."

She had a point there.

"Did ya stop to think that we might not be able to pull this off?" he asked her, wryly cynical.

"Yes, I've thought of it. But imagine if we do..." she replied, and her smile was sharp as a sabre when she looked at him. "It'll be like we're spitting in Aizen's smug face. And won't that be fun?"

Grimmjow chuckled and couldn't help but grin. With that kind of logic she could probably convince him to do just about anything, a fact which pissed him off just a little.

"Well, when you put it that way..."


	6. Tired Red, Angry Blue

-/-

Morning proved to be just as dreary as night, nothing but white and endless corridors. It was so easy to get lost, but since everything looked the same you couldn't tell when you were lost anyway. Grimmjow and Tatsu managed to navigate only through past experience. When they arrived at their destination a little tension lifted off of their shoulders. There were times when it could take hours to get to where you were going.

"Grimmjow-kun..." Gin said, smiling in his vaguely menacing way towards the Sexta Espada. "What brings you to the surveillance room?" he asked cheerfully.

Grimmjow just scowled at him, glaring a bit and stepping up. "I wanna keep an eye on that damn Kurosaki kid..." he muttered. Tatsu followed behind him closely, gazing up at him adoringly, her long, falsely red hair swaying behind her as she bowed to Gin.

Gin shrugged. "Feel free. I was getting kind of lonely in here all by myself."

He chuckled as he watched "Crimson" settle herself at Grimmjow's side, her hands resting on his arm, like she needed support. Grimmjow didn't even look at her. Aizen would be pleased to hear about her dependence on the Arrancar. Her very posture screamed subservience, she was a slave to her traumas, devoted to the person that served as her escape as well as the personality. Upon conversing with her, Gin also found that she seemed to be losing her memories of being a shinigami, the past blacking out in favour of a more bearable fantasy. She'd been born as an Arrancar, she belonged here. The more she convinced herself of that, the easier it would be to use and discard her like all the rest.

Eyes scanned silently over the floating surveillance screens, watching as the would-be invaders rushed to and fro. Grimmjow focused on Ichigo, seeing him rushing through the halls with his sword drawn in his hand. His eyes narrowed as he watched him, feeling the pull in his gut, demanding that he go after him. But he couldn't. At least... not yet.

After a few minutes of gazing enraptured at Grimmjow, Crimson's eyes trailed to the screens as well. She didn't seem at all interested in the people running about Las Noches, looking bored and impatient, like a petulant child. She prodded Grimmjow's arm lightly, wanting to leave but he just tugged her back so that she stayed put. She pouted but didn't move, after all, she'd do anything he wanted her to, even if he didn't say a word. Gin continued to smirk, watching Crimson's eyes lazily scanning the screens, looking a little glazed as she slipped into a daydream.

It took a lot of focus and a good awareness of one's body and face to be able to pull this off, to look completely uninterested to the point of zoning out when in reality she was memorizing the locations of all the various humans and shinigami scattered about Las Noches. Grimmjow continued to watch Ichigo. He knew the plan, he knew what she was doing. And he also knew that when it got down to it she would probably try to stop him from getting into a fight with Ichigo. But despite the tenuous friendship they'd built he would not let her stop him. They had a score to settle, him and Kurosaki, nothing and nobody was going to get in the way of that.

When she prodded his arm a second time he knew it was time to go. "What do you want, woman? I'm doin' somethin'!" he said, shaking her off his arm roughly. They'd practised this, his irritable indifference towards her, the scorn and the casual abuse. She took it all because she was supposed to enjoy it, because this version of her needed him more than anything.

"I'm bored..." She said, blinking up at him with ever-adoring eyes. Whenever they were outside their room she acted this way, every movement geared towards her subservient act towards him. He almost regretted when the mask came off in their room.

He scoffed and shook his head at her, turning away from the screen and stomping out in his usual fashion. She followed after him, eager as a puppy, following her master in the never ending hope for approval. Grimmjow, for his part, did a good job of being cold towards her, despite his obvious preference for when they were pressed in some dark corner, pretending to have an illicit tryst every time people walked by. Like now, when they pretended to be heading back to their rooms for sex, with her clinging to his waist, and him palming her curvy, tight ass. He walked slowly, ignoring her signals to go faster. He knew as soon as they walked back into their room she would pull away from him, that her face would grow cold and she would refuse to let him touch her. These moments where she showed a little interest in him, even if it was pretended and even if it was just a tease, it was better than her indifference. He was not used to anyone ignoring him, particularly women, and to have her just not care was a strike to his pride that he just couldn't bide with. He knew it was an act, just like most things she did, and he was determined to break through it.

They reached their room eventually though, and once the door was closed the act was dropped and Tatsu was back, and she was pissed. "What the hell is your problem, Grimmjow? We were supposed to come back quickly and make a plan based on their locations, we don't have a lot of time to do this if we don't want to get caught!" she hissed, poking his chest and glaring at him in a condescending way. He looked at her, her vivid eyes glaring into his and he had to marvel at her unusual height. Most women came up to his chest at most, but here she was, looking him straight in the eyes, trying to intimidate him with her anger. She couldn't be more than an inch shorter than him.

"You're pretty tall for a chick." he commented, looking back at her without a trace of care for her anger.

"Augh! Fucking _idiot_! I had to get stuck with the Espada with mush for brains!" She growled, shoving his shoulders roughly and turning away from him.

That got a rise out of him. "Well, excuse me if I ain't exactly enjoyin' this li'l game of pretend much. This plan benefits you the most, I don't get anythin' out of it except the possibility that I _might _be able to get out of here. The benefits aren't out weighin' the difficulties, if you catch my fuckin' drift." He growled back at her, stomping after her.

She whirled to face him, their faces mere inches apart as she bared her teeth at him, the two of them looking like feral cats about to fight. "Well you're not getting more than that!" she said to him, her voice low and harsh, "We both know what you want from me, and I'm sorry if that just doesn't fucking work for me." she said.

He glared at her, "Why? Because you're still too busy feelin' sorry for yourself? Oh, woe is me, Aizen did bad things to me, wah, wah. Fuck off! You're tougher than that, and if you weren't so lost in your self pity you'd notice that what he did to you is actually what's going to save your ass and your friends. I would think, being stupid and self-sacrificing as you are, that would make it worth it!"

She stared at him, her mouth agape, blinking rapidly a few times before turning away from him again. "Yeah, w-well that doesn't make it any more likely that you'll get what you want." she said, attempting to keep her voice harsh but really only succeeding in sounding stunned and confused. His words had struck a nerve somewhere, making her think of her ordeal as something more than a trauma. He was right, what she'd been through had given her the opportunity to create this ruse, to work with Grimmjow, to save her friends. If it hadn't happened she probably would have just been a slave to Aizen's demands until she outlived her usefulness and was killed. To think that it was a good thing... well she couldn't think that, it wasn't good. But that it could be _useful..._

She sighed a bit as she thought about it, she hated it when he did that. When he said these insightful things that made her remember that he was more than the animal she pretended he was. He had thoughts and, barbaric as they often were, he had feelings too. He was no less human than she was, and that thought scared her sometimes, because it was always accompanied by a little voice in her mind saying that she should give in to his demands, that she could use the chance to work out her stress and her troubles. He was attractive, and the more she thought about him as a man rather than an Arrancar the more trouble she had denying him. It wasn't like it would mean anything. Not between them, not in this place of blood and marble where sins were just accepted without care.

Still, she couldn't let go of self control like that, it went against her training, against what she knew. And she had to cling to that even more now.

"Did it ever occur to you that I'm just not interested?" she asked coldly, her gaze icy as she looked back at him. He'd thrown her for a moment, but he recognized when the mask was up again. They both knew she was lying. She had to be. The moments they'd spent together, the adrenaline and the danger around them had brought them together as unlikely partners which bordered on friends. But fragile as their relationship was, there was no way to deny the sexual tension between them, or the awkward silences that stretched between them, at night when neither of them slept across from each other in the same bed, wondering if the other person was asleep yet.

"You won't always be able to deny it you know." he said roughly, his temper deflating in the wake of exasperation. "It's inevitable."

"So's death." Tatsu said, still trying to be cold, but it was harder now. It was always harder with him. He brought out the passion in her. "But I'm going to try and avoid that too."

"Fine. Let's make this plan then and get it over with." He said gruffly, shrugging his shoulders and sitting down on the bed with a huff.

"Okay... Well if we make an approximate map of our area..." Tatsu said, going into work mode, grabbing paper and ink and drawing out a vague map of Las Noches, made vague because of how the passages were always changing. "These are the locations, as near as I can tell." Tatsu said, marking places. "They may move of course, but it's a place to start. Gin's only in the surveillance room a couple hours a day before he gets bored, so if we avoid those hours it should be fine. Except..."

Grimmjow watched her work, listening. "Szayel's always watching..." he finished for her.

"Right..." she sighed. "We'll have to distract him somehow... But what would catch his interest?"

Grimmjow looked thoughtful, an expression that was entirely unfamiliar to Tatsu and which surprised her a bit.

"Well the word from the Fraccion is that Szayel's latest obsession is your redheaded shinigami friend." he said. "Guess he's been watching him a lot. Maybe he has a thing for redheads?" He suggested, tugging on a lock of Tatsu's hair.

She frowned. "You want me to try and seduce him? But how would that help us?" she said, scowling a bit. "I hear he doesn't even like women."

"Yeah, I doubt he does... But if ya get him to like ya, maybe he'll be willin' to look away when you and I are up to mischief, ne? He doesn't have to know what it is. If he asks you can stick to the story about how we're luring in Ichigo."

Tatsu rubbed her chin thoughtfully, "Hm, that is plausible. Won't be easy though. I'll see what I can do." she said, nodding decisively. "With him out of the way there's nothing stopping us from collecting them, we'll most likely have to knock them out to stop them from fighting, though we'll try to keep the injuries minimal. And once they're all gathered here we can reveal our plan."

Grimmjow nodded. "Not much we can do now then, Szayel's out doing his research thing. We can't make a move 'til he's back and you've got him on our side."

Tatsu sighed, she wasn't fond of waiting. "I guess we'll wait here then. Let everyone think we're wasting the day having crazed angry sex." she said, rolling her eyes at her own words. "I'll take a bath and freshen myself up for 'Szayel-sama'." She scoffed, getting up and heading towards the bathroom. Grimmjow watched her for a moment.

"Wait a sec." he said, causing her to look back at him. Although impatient to get on with it, her mood seemed better now that they had a solid plan.

"What? You want to go over something again?" she asked, blinking her eyes behind her white mask. That mask irritated him sometimes. When he wanted to examine her expressions more thoroughly and couldn't because of the damn thing.

"Nah. Just... C'mere for a second." he said, gesturing her towards where he was sitting on the bed.

In this position his head was about level with her chest, but she didn't overtly object and just stepped forward, wondering what was going through his mind now. She jumped a bit when Grimmjow reached forward quickly, between her breasts where her 'hollow hole' supposedly was, his hand wrapping around the necklace that disguised her so thoroughly. Before she could react he'd pulled the invisible chain up over her head, causing her entire persona to dissolve around her.

She blinked, glancing at herself, examining her blonde locks and looking at him with confusion. "What did you do that for?" she asked, looking at him suspiciously. He took in her expression, all of it, with her creasing eyebrows and her wrinkled up nose as she looked at him distastefully. Her eyes, which weren't as shadowed and all the more vibrant for it, revealed her mixed confusion and curiousity at his strange actions. This was real, this was who she really was, underneath the glamour and facade, she was just a woman.

"Makes it easier for me to do this." He said, pulling her down and crushing their lips together, ripping a startled gasp from her throat.

This was not one of their showy,sloppy, fake kisses for when their were others around, nor was it a slow seductive kiss that one might expect from the situation. This kiss was all fire, all gut wrenching hunger and bottled up desire, both of them a little shocked at the intensity, at the explosiveness such a simple action created. When they pulled back they were gasping for air, looking at each other with stunned expressions, shocked at what had just passed between them. But Tatsu's expression as she looked at him was completely open for once, and he could see her resolve breaking down underneath the pressure of her emotions. He looked back at her, his gaze intense, waiting.

She made a helpless noise, pressing forward and pushing him onto the bed roughly, her lips attacking his and her fingers diving into that glorious blue mane. She was straddling his hips, body pulsing with heat, her mouth consuming as much of his as it could. Surprised as he was by the sudden action it didn't take him long to catch up, rolling her over so that he was on top, pressing their bodies together, kissing her back with the same tempered ferocity that was in everything he did. He was surprised when she countered with the same force, her thighs wrapping strongly around his and pulling him down against her, not allowing any room between their bodies. Her hands started ripping at his clothes, admiring the toned flesh and scars, her fingers tracing over his broad chest, flicking at his nipples and making him grunt against her mouth. He grabbed her wrists then, pinning them beside her head but she wouldn't submit, her knee shifting between his legs and rubbing him through his hakama. He hadn't expected it to be like this. He'd thought he'd be the rough one, the demanding one. He expected her to be a more focused, careful lover. But he certainly wasn't upset that he was wrong. She gave as good as she got, growling as he pulled away and starting removing her clothing with his teeth, doing a good job of shredding her top in the process of revealing more milky white flesh. She got impatient then, pushing him away and rolling them back to their previous position, one hand gripping his hair hard and tugging his head to the side to leave room for her teeth on his neck, biting and licking. Her other hand slipped between them, ripping his jacket off his shoulders, her nails leaving marks on his skin as she roughly undressed him. His hands went to her hips, not protesting the rough treatment, pulling her down against him and grinding up at the same time, earning him a muffled moan. She shot him a small, competitive glare before her lips went to his ear, nipping sharply at the shell of his ear, tugging lightly with her teeth and forcing him to moan in return. His ears were sensitive, always had been, and something about her hot mouth on him there drove him completely crazy.

"Enough." he growled, sitting them both up so that she was on his lap, legs around his waist, every part of their bodies pressed together, her soft, firm breasts crushed against the hardness of his chest, and their muscular stomachs sliding against each other. She tossed aside the tattered remnants of her shirt, reaching between their unconsciously writhing hips to tug at his hakama, sliding it down his hips until he helpfully lifted himself up and slid them off himself. With only her long, side-slitted skirt to separate them now they were both panting and desperate, not wanting to separate for fear of sanity returning. But she slid herself off of his lap, standing close to him, her long fingers slipping into her waistband and sliding the white fabric off of her hips and thighs. She looked up at him when she was done, her eyes glazing over with unashamed lust, admiring sculpted arms and hard pecs. But a sliver of misgiving invaded her mind as her eyes trailed over his stomach, the hollow hole there a blatant reminder of why they shouldn't be doing this. He saw her hesitation, unwilling to stop now, and he grabbed her, pulling their naked flesh together.

"Ride me." he demanded, tugging her long hair so that her head tipped back and she moaned, "I wanna feel ya slide against me while ya ride my cock." he murmured, voice low and predatorial, leaving no room for argument. She looked at him with challenging eyes, making sure he knew that he couldn't just order her around. If she didn't want it so badly herself she'd push him down and tease him more, but she did. So she rose up over him, biting her lip as she lowered herself over his thick erection, gasping and rocking her hips at the overwhelming sensation. Grimmjow didn't let her have a moments rest, groaning as her walls clenched around him, lifting her up by her hips and dropping her down on his cock, loving her high pitched moans. She ground against him, wanting it harder, pulling his hair demandingly as her hips rode him hard and fast, not giving either of them the chance to think or recover.

As their bodies moved together their mouths joined messily, teeth colliding and nipping, lips crashing and bruising, the rhythm matching their churning hips. He slipped a hand down to rub against her clit as they were bucking and grinding, making her cry out between her moans, the pitch going up an octave and her walls convulsing around him.

At that pace they couldn't last long, their bodies vibrating with pleasure, their movements so in sync that they yelled their release into each other's mouths at the same time. The high was all-consuming, leaving them breathless for several moments and boneless for several minutes. They collasped against the sweat soaked sheets, panting and clinging to each other. At that point all they could do was stare at each other, too absorbed in what had just gone on between them to fully grasp what had happened. So they didn't think about it, simply curling up together and closing their eyes, their glistening, exhausted bodies the only patches of colour in the white room.

They could sleep for awhile. The world could wait a few hours before they had to deal with it.

-/-

**Hi everyone! I hope everyone is well and enjoys these two new chapters. **

**I know it's been a long time since I worked on this, and most of you that watched this story before have probably forgotten all about it, but if anybody still gets any enjoyment out of this other than me then I think my job is done ^.^ Hopefully I'll be updating a lot more now in order to finish this series. **

**Love you guys! **


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